Biography

"This guy's words are magic."
-Doug Jeffrey, Editor of Ultimate MMA Magazine


"He is one of us [fighters], and he trains like us, and he gets us."
-Charles Pearson, Professional Fighter and Owner of Lockflow.com

Marshal is a freelance journalist. Most of his writing is on mixed martial arts.

Marshal was born in rural Pennsylvania. He grew up reading books and playing video games. In grade school, he mostly hid from bullies, and in high school, he didn't do much of anything at all, which his grades reflected.

For lack of anything better to do, he decided that he wanted to go to college, so he did, enrolling in California University of Pennsylvania in 2005. That same year, he discovered an interest in writing. He decided that he wanted to write for video games, so he did. He completed a freelance contract writing character dialogue for Studio Archcraft's Nintendo DS title "the Black Sigil." He was 19.

The following summer, he discovered Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Greatly enjoying choking and arm locking his friends, he decided that he wanted to write about grappling and mixed martial arts, so he did. He started writing for Lockflow.com in July of 2007.

In January of 2008, he enrolled in the National Student Exchange program and spent a semester at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Attending UH Hilo was a good excuse to live near the BJ Penn Academy for 5 months. He trained twice a day, five days a week. Renato "Charuto" Verissimo promoted him to blue belt that April.

Also during his time in Hawaii, Marshal decided that he wanted to start writing for magazines, so he did. His first article with Ultimate Grappling Magazine (which is now Ultimate MMA Magazine) ran in the July 2008 issue. He has since written eight articles for the magazine, one of which was a two-part cover story.

He is now back on the mainland. He continues to train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and continues to write. His book on his travels in Hawaii, the Cauliflower Chronicles, goes on sale this summer.